Honda S2000

Brisk driving brings out the car's fun, but as a commuter car it's cramped and frenetically noisy. While the S2000's 2.0-liter four-cylinder zooms easily to 9,000 RPM and develops 240 hp, stirring performance is only available between 6,000 rpm and the screaming redline. Otherwise, power delivery feels just ordinary. The six-speed transmission is crisp and precise. A glass rear window arrived in 2002, replacing the plastic one. The engine grew to 2.2-liters and gained flexibility in 2004, and the ride was softened somewhat; these changes made the S2000 marginally easier to live with, but also eroded some of the car's live-wire feel. Model year 2006 brought standard electronic stability control and 2009 was its last year.